Colorado medical marijuana grower sentenced to six years

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8 years ago

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February 13, 2012

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A Colorado medical marijuana grower was sentenced to six years in Illinois state prison after he was caught with a shipment of 42 pounds of marijuana in Chicago.

Former Chicago mortgage broker Ryan Bailey had moved to Colorado as a part of the “green rush” of young entrepreneurs going west to make money in the cannabis industry.

A Chicago Police sting caught Ryan Bailey in a home on the Northwest side with dozens of pounds of medical pot on March, 9 2010.

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A drug-sniffing dog had located a box with Tupperware containers filled with 42 pounds of weed at a UPS facility, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. Labels on the package indicated it had been shipped from a California law firm to a design company in Chicago.

An undercover officer posing as a UPS worker delivered it to the home, where it was signed for by Jason Duda. Authorities claim that Bailey had paid Duda $200 to accept the package.

After obtaining a search warrant, police allegedly found Bailey in the home holding a package of marijuana, which he quickly tossed into a box.

“Some people in the industry have gotten lucky,” he told the Sun-Times last year. “Other guys like me have gotten caught in the system.”

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Bailey is being held in Stateville Correctional Center after being sentenced to six years last week, CBS Chicago reported.

He also faces separate charges in Colorado where he is accused of growing more than 670 marijuana plants.

Under Colorado law, medical marijuana patients can grow up to six plants for personal use. “Caregivers” can grow additional plants for up to five other patients.

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North Metro Task Force commander Jerry Peters said there was some wiggle room in the law that could allow patients to grow more plants if they can demonstrate a need.

“But six people could not possibly consume 670 plants in a month,” he added.

Bailey’s wife, Amber Cook, operates the Grass Roots Organica marijuana dispensary in a small Denver home. She is not accused of any wrongdoing.

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Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. We’re not part of a conglomerate, or a project of venture capital bros. From unflinching coverage of racism, to revealing efforts to erode our rights, Raw Story will continue to expose hypocrisy and harm. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.

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